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by DIANA HOPKINS

Wed, August 12, 2009

Credentialing is defined as the process of establishing an

individuals background, legitimacy, and qualifications for

performing a specific task and in that context is a key tool

in the interstate deployment and interoperability of trusted

resources when disaster strikes. There are many extant

credentialing systems used by various agencies and

organizations in the emergency- management field.

However, and despite the availability of such systems, a

need for consistency in credentialing prompted the

development of national credentialing standards under the

National Response Plan of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

By definition, a national standard applies to all levels of government federal, state,

tribal, and local. Among the most important requirements of the proposed national

credentialing system are that: (1) It must be able to function within existing

jurisdictional protocols, if feasible; (2) Its deployment cannot impose an undue

burden on the numerous jurisdictions at various levels of government; (3) It must

conform to the protocols, principles, and guidelines set forth in the federal Incident

Command System (ICS); and (4) Current emergency-responder credentialing systems

must be used or integrated with the national system whenever possible.

The development of a national credentialing system a fundamental underpinning of

the National Incident Management System (NIMS) has specifically been assigned to

the Federal Emergency Management Agencys NIMS Integration Center (NIC). That

important task also involves: (a) The development of standards for and/or related to

the level and currency of an individuals training, experience, physical and mental

fitness, and professional capabilities; (b) The use of establishing/accrediting

organizations to carry out credentialing certification and training programs; and (c)

The standardization of not only job titles but also credential documentation and

recordkeeping so that all appropriately qualified emergency responders in all

jurisdictions, at every level of government, can be quickly identified and dispatched

if, when, and where disaster strikes.

Consensus Agreement on Titles, Qualifications, and Gaps

As part of the credentialing standards development work, seven stakeholder working

groups were formed to address, and then approve by consensus: seven discipline-

specific job titles in emergency management; the role that responders in each

discipline would be assigned in critical activities; and the qualifications,

certifications, training, and education that those responders would have to meet.

The stakeholders involved in developing the job titles not only reached consensus on

the "requisite" as well as recommended baseline standards (for education, training,

experience, physical/medical fitness, certification, and licensing) but also identified

certain gaps in the responder roles that NIMS-level decision makers would have to

address.

The principalpurpose of theDHS credentialinginitiative is todevelop integratedandcomprehensivesystems foridentifying, anddeploying,credentialedresponders - andother qualifiedpersonnelresources

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Article Detail - Domestic Preparedness

http://www.domesticpreparedness.com/Industry/Standards/The_Development_of_National_Standards_for_Credentialing/[7/29/2010 11:52:46 AM]

With regard to the deployment of emergency responders, FEMAs National

Emergency Responder Credentialing System another system developed by the

NIMS Integration Center (NIC) has been assigned the responsibility of identifying

and mobilizing qualified responders, selecting them based on standardized job titles

and descriptions.

The principal purpose of the DHS credentialing initiative is to develop integrated and

comprehensive systems for identifying, and deploying, credentialed responders and

other qualified personnel resources to deal with a major incident when local

resources are overwhelmed. As with all national standards, the stakeholder

participation in developing credentialing standards is voluntary, as is stakeholder use

of a finalized credentialing standard. However, it is important to note that

acceptability for federal grants and funding is tied to a stakeholders participation in

such DHS initiatives.

On 21 November 2008, a draft of the proposed NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing

of Personnel was distributed for use and comment by emergency-management

professionals and other key stakeholders in the government and private sectors.

Earlier this year (in April), FEMA produced the 2009 Annual Operating Plan for the

National Preparedness Directorate, which lists the finalization of credentialing

guidelines as one of its principal goals and names NIC and the Incident Management

Systems Integration (IMSI) division as the leading agencies involved in that task.

_______________

For additional information:

On job titles, see

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/ems_jobtitle_0308.pdf;

On the NIMS Credentialing Guideline, see

http://www.fema.gov/good_guidance/download/10280;

On the 2009 FEMA Annual Operating Plan for the National Preparedness

Directorate, see http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/npd_operating.pdf

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